Ways to save on your next trip to Hawaii

CaptionParrots, Hawaii

D. Corich

"This photo was taken in Waikiki, Honolulu across from the International Market Place on Kalakaua Avenue. The birds' handler, for a small price, will place the birds on your shoulder and take a picture. Something to show the folks back home. I caught the birds between their photo shoots." -- D....

"This photo was taken in Waikiki, Honolulu across from the International Market Place on Kalakaua Avenue. The birds' handler, for a small price, will place the birds on your shoulder and take a picture. Something to show the folks back home. I caught the birds between their photo shoots." -- D.... (D. Corich)

Whooshing down the twisting pavement from the 10,023-foot Maui mountain to the sea is one of the biggest thrills in road cycling. But it's not without risk. After a string of fatalities, Haleakala National Park in 2007 imposed a moratorium on commercial downhill rides. Individual cyclists can...

Whooshing down the twisting pavement from the 10,023-foot Maui mountain to the sea is one of the biggest thrills in road cycling. But it's not without risk. After a string of fatalities, Haleakala National Park in 2007 imposed a moratorium on commercial downhill rides. Individual cyclists can... (Richard Derk / Los Angeles Times)

Reviews by Rosemary McClure, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer In Waikiki, tourist food comes in two flavors: exorbitant and outrageous. This becomes clear to visitors when they walk into the restaurant at their beachfront hotel and find their only option is a breakfast buffet that serves up bacon...

Reviews by Rosemary McClure, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer In Waikiki, tourist food comes in two flavors: exorbitant and outrageous. This becomes clear to visitors when they walk into the restaurant at their beachfront hotel and find their only option is a breakfast buffet that serves up bacon... (Ron Garnett / Los Angeles Times)

Thousands of surfers come to the North Shore of Oahu in October and stay until March to battle waves along an eight-mile stretch that runs from Haleiwa north to Turtle Bay. The setting sun at Haleiwa Beach on Oahu's North Shore.

Thousands of surfers come to the North Shore of Oahu in October and stay until March to battle waves along an eight-mile stretch that runs from Haleiwa north to Turtle Bay. The setting sun at Haleiwa Beach on Oahu's North Shore. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

"The Hilton Waikoloa, even with its great sculpture collection, is a rather over-the-top Disney-esque sort of place. However, the Buddha statue is set apart from the rest of the resort, up a small hilly pathway. It's windy and peaceful there, with an ocean view on almost three sides. I took...

"The Hilton Waikoloa, even with its great sculpture collection, is a rather over-the-top Disney-esque sort of place. However, the Buddha statue is set apart from the rest of the resort, up a small hilly pathway. It's windy and peaceful there, with an ocean view on almost three sides. I took... (Marcia Luce, Los Angeles)

Visiting Hawaii during the slower seasons — early February and early March, late May, early June or fall — is one strategy for making travel more affordable. But if that's not possible, don't give up. There are other ways to save:

—Getting there:

Airfares are higher this year, so flexibility will be key.

Travel midweek, if possible, and if you're still not having any luck, try moving your dates by a day or a week or two.

To find the least expensive travel dates, consult low-fare calendars on websites such as Kayak.com and Alaskair.com.

Use Bing.com's Price Predictor to gauge whether fares are likely to rise or fall in the coming weeks.

Renting a car off-airport can save $100 or more on a week's rental. Example: Enterprise recently quoted $399, including taxes, as the weekly rate for a Chevy Aero picked up at the airport in Honolulu. The price fell to $240 for pickup at several other locations just a few miles away.

Agencies with off-airport locations can't pick you up at the airport. You'll need a cab for that. But most will take you back.

Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island have inexpensive public bus service. I rented a car in Maui, but used Maui Bus several times (www.co.maui.hi.us) At $1 per ride, I loved being able to jump off when I saw something interesting, without hassling with parking.

Fares are also $1 on the Big Island's Hele-On Bus system (www.heleonbus.org). Oahu's transit system (www.thebus.org) sells a four-day pass for $25 and single rides for $2.50. Kauai Bus (www.kauai.gov) provides service around the island for $2 per ride.

—Where to stay:

"Buyer beware" are the watchwords when it comes to sifting though advertised "deals" for hotels, rentals and vacation packages. Hidden cleaning and resort fees, parking and taxes can lift the bottom-line price higher than it first appears.

Online-booking sites can turn up deals, but check first directly with hotels. They might offer the same or a lower rate as a web special, and AAA or AARP rates might be less.

Expedia, for instance, recently advertised a three-night "early booking bonus" rate at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel for $576, including taxes and fees. That was $5 less than the rate available on the hotel's website, but a search there also turned up an AAA / AARP rate of $523.

Package-tour operators negotiate volume discounts, but the deals may include extras that you don't need. Before paying for a vacation package upfront, figure out the cost of each component if booked separately. You'll gain flexibility and avoid extra change or cancellations fees beyond what the hotels and airlines charge.

Example: A seven-night Pleasant Holidays package for two to Maui in February came to $3,696, including taxes and a $19 per night resort fee payable directly to the hotel. The price included nonstop flights on Hawaiian Airlines from Seattle, a garden-view suite at the Kaanapali Shores Hotel, a two-for-one luau offer and a $100 food and drink credit.

Booking the same flights and hotel separately came to $3,393, with taxes and a $10 per night resort fee, a savings of $303, minus the package extras.

Other lodging tips:

—Score a room for half-price by bidding on Priceline (www.priceline.com), the website that lets you name a price and pick a hotel's star rating and location but doesn't reveal the name until after you've paid. Check http://www.biddingfortravel.com for tips.

—Find lodging in homes, cottages and condos at http://www.airbnb.com.Among its listings is a $69 room on a Big Island farm and an $85 condo with a pool near Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu.

—Vacation Rentals by Owner (www.vrbo.com) is a reliable site with hundreds of listings and photos for homes and condos.

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